Jacoby Ellsbury #22 of the New York Yankees runs to second base after hitting an RBI double in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox during the game at Fenway Park on April 22, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

On Wednesday, April 23, 2014, ESPN reported that Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., will be the site for the middle MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST (6:05 p.m. CST/5:05 p.m. MST/4:05 p.m. PST), will be televised (nationally) on big ESPN and ESPN-Deportes (En Español), while simultaneously streaming live on Watch-ESPN (online).

Behind another stellar pitching performance by Japanese import RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K), the Bronx Bombers took the opener, 9-3, last night in Beantown. The win kept the (12-8) New York Yankees in first place in the American League East, extending their lead over the last-place (9-12) Boston Red Sox by 3½ games early in the season.

Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe previews both team’s projected lineups as well as the pitching matchup in his April 23 report. As it turns out, MLB fans will be treated to a great battle of young vs. old, as New York’s hard-throwing RHP Michael Pineda (2-1, 1.00 ERA) takes the hill against Boston’s battle-tested veteran, RHP John Lackey (2-2, 5.25 ERA).

After tallying 15 hits and 9 runs-batted-in in the opener, Yankee skipper Joe Girardi has penciled in a very similar lineup to try and clinch the series. Other than Ichiro Suzuki and Yangervis Solarte, who will start the evening on the bench, the pinstripes lineup goes as follows: (CF) Jacoby Ellsbury, (SS) Derek Jeter, (DH) Carlos Beltran, (C) Brian McCann, (LF) Alfonso Soriano, (1B) Mark Teixeira, (RF) Brett Gardner, (2B) Brian Roberts and (3B) Kelly Johnson.

In the case of the Red Sox, this team combined for 9 hits and only 3 runs-batted-in in last night’s effort versus the pinstripes. Thus, Boston manager John Farrell has made some adjustments to his lineup to try and force the rubber match tomorrow. Here’s what he’s put together for tonight’s ESPN live streaming game: (RF) Grady Sizemore, (2B) Dustin Pedroia, (DH) David Ortiz, (1B) Mike Napoli, (LF) Mike Carp, (C) AJ Pierzynski, (SS) Xander Bogaerts, (3B) Brock Holt, (CF) Jackie Bradley Jr.

According to MLB lines posted today by ESPN’s oddsmakers, most sportsbooks have Boston evening out the series with a win tonight over New York. The latest Las Vegas lines show that the Red Sox are listed as -124 favorites versus the Yankees, whose odds of an upset are valued at +114.

Finally, MLB oddsmakers are expecting another high-scoring affair in the middle game. This is evidenced by the fact that the OVER/UNDER is set at a combined total of 9 runs. How will Michael Pineda perform against John Lackey, especially following his infamous “pine tar” incident?

Baseball fans cannot afford to miss what is still considered one of the biggest rivalries in sports. Tune to big ESPN (DirecTV channel 206) to watch the national TV broadcast, or simply click here to view the free live stream at Watch-ESPN and click here for a Spanish feed (ESPN-Deportes).

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Abe is a CJ admin. whose love for sports led him to become a writer/editor, and subsequently a Webmaster. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-LosAngeles, CBS-Miami and CBS-TampaBay just to name a few. Feel free to contact Abe with your comments and questions.